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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to tire
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ground — a position
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com